If you’re watching WandaVision and you’re not caught up, don’t worry. This post won’t spoil any plot points for you.

No, this post is about how the details we choose tell a story. In episode 8, (again, I promise this won’t spoil anything) Wanda walks through a parking lot and gets into a car.

The car is a Buick Verano.

Let me be the first to say that I am not a car person. My husband can do that thing where he sees the headlights of a car and knows what kind it is, and I just know there’s a car with headlights.

But something about the way they shot Wanda getting into the car and backing out of her space made me look to see if I could see the insignia on the back. And the fact that I looked at the insignia told me that they were shooting the scene in a way that made me think to look, and that told me that suddenly, this was more about the car than the storytelling.

I don’t want to be thinking about what car Wanda is driving. I want to be immersed in her journey. Instead, part of my mind was trying to see, then confirm, that yes, she was driving a Buick. And I don’t think I even really have a strong opinion about Buicks.

The details matter. Everything we see tells a story. Whether you’re arranging a meeting, holding an event, or giving a talk, we are looking for the meaning in the details.

Your opportunity is make sure that everything is supporting the story you want to tell, and that no detail, like the Buick, is going to pull your audience or listener away from the experience you’re hoping to create.